CSULB hosts engineering program for younger female students

LONG BEACH -- Young women in area high school, middle school and elementary schools on Friday had a chance to learn all about science, engineering and technology at Cal State Long Beach's annual "Engineering Girls @ the Beach. "

The one-day program at the university's Engineering and Computer Science building is designed to spark female interest in engineering, computer science, technology and other non-traditional career fields where women are underrepresented.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, women fill about half of all jobs in the country's economy, but they hold less than a quarter of all jobs in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, known as STEM.

The number has been consistent throughout the past decade, even as the number of college-educated women has increased in the workforce.

However, those who chose a STEM field may be making a wise decision. Women in STEM jobs typically earn about 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs, according to the Department of Commerce. As a result, the gender wage gap is smaller in these fields.

Over the years, a number of organizations, such as the National Girls Collaborative Project, have launched programs to the boost the representation of women in STEM.

The project in Long Beach was founded in 2009 by Lily Gossage, CSULB's director of recruitment and retention in the College of Engineering. "It is our hope that Engineering Girls @ the Beach will leave a lasting impression on our youngest participants," Gossage said in a statement. "Reaching out to girls at a much younger age is critical in a generation where self-expression is valued over self-control, where Brittany Spears is more of a role model than their math and science teachers or renowned engineers such as Grace Murray Hopper and Judith Resnik. "

Friday's event featured a variety of learning experiences for students as well as an address from keynote speaker will be Joy Liu, chair of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Orange County Section. Boys were also invited to attend this year thanks to a sponsorship from the U.S. Navy.